Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing criminal provisions for intentional unregistered design infringement.
The Government has considered this issue in detail in recent years. There were - and continue to be - mixed views on criminal sanctions for unregistered designs, and many design-intensive industries have argued against their introduction.
Taking account of all views, the Government remains of the view that it is not appropriate to extend criminal penalties to unregistered designs.